GameStop Expects Low PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Prices

GameStop expects the upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to cost less than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 did at launch.

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According to GameSpot in an earnings call GameStop CFO Rob Llyod said he expects the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to cost less than their predecessors did at launch. That would price the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at around $300 or less if Lloyd is correct.

The Xbox 360 launched with two SKUs, the Xbox 360 Arcade that sold for $299.99, and the Xbox 360 Pro which included a 20GB hard drive and sold for $399.99. Lloyd’s prediction would make the Xbox One price fall below $300, unless he meant it wouldn’t cost more than the $400 model of the Xbox 360.

When the PlayStation 3 first came to market it sold for $500 and $600 depending on the size of the hard drive the user wanted. That would make the PlayStation 4 cost potentially more than the Xbox One. The PlayStation 4 price may be much lower than that, however.

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The two new consoles both have similar hardware (though the PlayStation 4 has a slight edge with a slightly faster CPU and more advanced RAM), so the built cost may be similar for both companies. That could mean the companies will choose similar price points for their consoles.

Nintendo‘s latest system, the Wii U, which is closer in specs to the Xbox 360 and PS3 currently costs $300 for the basic white model and $350 for the Deluxe console which has a black finish and 32GB of SSD storage. If GameStop’s CFO is correct in his prediction, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 may come out with similar prices.

During the earnings call GameStop touted its trade-in system that will give gamers credit towards new consoles, effectively making them cheaper. Gamers with large game libraries for the Xbox 360 of PlayStation 3 may not want to trade in their consoles, however, as neither the Xbox One nor the PlayStation 4 can play games from previous console generations.